Reid, McConnell reach deal to allow votes on spending bills

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) announced a deal
with Republicans Tuesday that will allow the Senate to vote on rival spending
measures Wednesday.

The votes on a GOP measure to further cut spending this year by about $57 billion, and a Democratic alternative to cut spending by $6.5 billion,
will take place Wednesday afternoon.

“Even though there have been a few turns in the road we
are at the place where we need to be,” Reid said in floor comments early
Tuesday evening. “We need to be able to show the American people where we are
on these issues.”

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The breakthrough came after Reid earlier on Tuesday accused
Republicans of breaking a commitment to allow a vote on the House GOP spending
measure.

“Things don’t always work smoothly around here but usually
they work, and now we are at a point where we can vote on these two measures,
which is what we need to do,” Reid said Tuesday in announcing the deal. He also
thanked his GOP counterpart, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), for
his cooperation in allowing the votes.

The Senate will vote first on the GOP measure. If it fails
to win the necessary 60 votes to end debate, the Senate will move to a vote on the
Democratic bill. Both are expected to fall short of the 60-vote hurdle.

The Senate will begin three hours of debate on the measures
at noon on Wednesday.

While the votes are expected to fail, the intention is to
provide both parties with a sense of how their measures stand in the broader
Senate. Republicans and Democrats are split by $50 billion, and neither side
has been willing to budge in the fight.